NFL 2016 Week 6 Picks

It’s week six of the NFL and another competitive slate of games has meant that extra homework has been required to identify this week’s best three bets.

A mixture of two picks against the spread, in the games involving Houston and Indianapolis and Miami and Pittsburgh, together with a call on the total points in the Washington v Philadelphia game, makes up the three bets that we hope will show another profitable week for the singles, whilst the treble pays 13/2 with bet365.

These two divisional rivals have got off to promising starts to 2016, both boasting winning records, the Redskins 3-2 through five weeks, whilst the Eagles are 3-1 through four games, following their recent bye.

This match-up provides a great opportunity for the winner to make headway in the NFC East, and it is Philadelphia that is favoured to come away with the ‘W’. However, after record a hat-trick of victories, two of which came on the road, it would take a brave punter to oppose Washington, back on home soil.

Instead, look towards a bet on the total points in this game. Four of the Redskins’ first five games have gone over the total points spread, whilst both Eagles’ road games have surpassed the total.

The Redskins defesne has leaked 38, 27, 27, 20 and 10 points so far in 2016, but thanks to the explosive arm of quarterback, Kirk Cousins, they have been finding enough points to remain competitive. That should remain the case on Sunday, in a fixture that has been high scoring in recent history. The last three meetings between these two in the US capital have seen totals of 43, 51 and 60 points, and with Sunday’s total set at 44.5, it’s a confident call that the game will surpass this spread.

The Miami Dolphins are bad! Apart from a very fortunate overtime win over the winless Cleveland Browns, there is not much positive to say about Adam Gase’s team, in the new Head Coach’s first five games in charge.

Things don’t promise to get much better when the high flying Pittsburgh head to the recently refurbished ‘Hard Rock Stadium’ on Sunday. The Steelers boast a record of 4-1, with an average point haul of 28 points per game, a record that would look much better was in not for a bizarre 34-3 defeat to Philadelphia in week three. That result is likely to look more and more like an anomaly as the season progresses, as quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and his artillery of offense weapons continue to inflict pain on opposing defenses, as has become the rule rather than the exception in recent years.

The spread on Sunday has been set at -7 in favour of the Steelers and if the Tennessee Titans can put up 30 against the Dolphins, as they did last weekend, the Steelers should have no problem wreaking similar havoc of the Miami defense. Add to that an offense that continues to stutter and the visitors are a confident pick to win by more than the touchdown margin required, after covering in all four of their wins to date in 2016.

Whilst not quite as bad, the Indianapolis Colts are certainly giving Miami a run for its money as one of the worst teams in the NFL. They are very fortunate to boast quarterback, Andrew Luck, within the ranks, which is the sole reason they have two wins from their first five games, both at home. They lost on the road to a below average Jacksonville team, in London, and against Denver, the only team they have played with a winning record, they were beaten 34-20.

The Colts defense is the joint worst in the NFL, heading in to week six, averaging 30 points per game to opponents, and the Houston should have no problem upkeeping that trend at home in Sunday’s late game against a team that has not covered the spread in defeat, thus far.

The Texans have been impressive in its three wins so far, covering the spread in all, with the only doubt arising when they have come up against quality opposition on the road, losing to both Minnesota and New England, which is no great shame. Whilst those defeats don’t bode well for the playoffs, should they get there, it has no bearing on Sunday’s game against poor opposition in the Colts.

The spread of -3 in favour of Houston looks very lenient and backing the home side looks a solid play both as a single on the handicap and to compelte the weekend with a winning treble.